Sewing machine for tubular articles



R. E. JOHNSON SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR-ARTICLES Dec. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22. 1957 INVENTOR.

Ralph E. Johnson EWITNESS 1 TORNE) Dec. 22, 1959 R. E. JOHNSON SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR ARTICLES Filed May 22. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 0 mm w o w N 1E A a 73 M a "E: R

1 lllllll L ml ll wmwfi W Y mm mmk E s T a 3 W 4 w Dec'. 22, 1959 R. E. JOHNSON SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22, 1957 r/ZO i INVENTOR. Ralph E. Johnson BY ZJTTORNEY WITNESS Dec. 22, 1959 R. E. JOHNSON 2,9

SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR ARTICLES 7 7 Filed May 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Ralph E. Johnson WITNESS BY W140 342L694, W 6w ATTORNEY U ird W1. Pam'fifi w 2,918,027 v Patented Dec. 22 1959 2,918,027 SEWING MACHTNE FOR TUBULAR ARTICLES Ralph E. Johnson, Mountainside, N.J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, NJ a corporation of New Jersey Application May 22, 1957, Serial No. 660,915

8 Claims. 01. 112-258 necessarily connote a true cylindrical shape but was in all probability derived from the fact that a cylinder of fabric could be placed over the bed. Heretofore, the general type of work that was possible on any one particular cylinder bed sewing machine was dependent upon the normal line of action of the work feeding mechanism of that machine. If the line of action of the feed was parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder bed then the machine became a feed-up or feed-oif-the-arm type suitable only for making tubes or stitching along the length of a tube. If the line of action of the feed was transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder bed then he machine became a feed-across-the-arm variety as in the case of most cylinder bed machines intended for home or family use and suitable for stitching on existing tubular articles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cylinder bed sewing machine which is capable of sewing equally well either lengthwise of a tube of fabric in the fashion of a feed-up or feed-off-the-"irrn machine or around'a cylinder of fabric in the manner of a feed-across-the-arm sewing machine.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sewing machine capable of sewing either along or around a cylinder of fabric without modification of the machine or any of its mechanisms or parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel cylinder bed for a sewing machine in which a work feeding mechanism adapted to feed work fabrics in a single predetermined line of action may be used to produce stitches in fabric tubes of either small or large diameter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel cylinder bed sewing machine construction in which the stitching point and the stitch forming instrumentalities in the cylinder bed are arranged for convenient access by the machine operator.

With the above and additional objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational view of a sewing machine with portions of the machine casing being broken away and sectioned and having my invention'applied' thereto,

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the work supporting base of the machine of Fig. 1 with the bracket-arm of the machine removed and a'portion of the work supporting surface and throatplate cut away, V

Fig. 3 represents a head end elevational view of the sewingmachine of Fig; 1 with the work supporting bed illustrated in cross section taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and i Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the work supporting bed.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the sewing machine of this invention is particularly adapted for use as a portable machine; that is, it may be placed in use on any flat surface such as a table top, desk, counter, or the like. The machine frame is built on a supporting base 11 which may also include a flat extension arm 12 for additional stability, both the base and the extension arm thereof being fitted with cushion pads 13 to prevent marring of a tabletop and to aid in frictionally holding the sewing machine in place on a supporting surface during operation.

Carried on the supporting base by means of a vertical standard 14 is a bracket arm 15 terminating in a sewing head 16. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the standard is tapered and the bracket arm 15 is preferably ofiset rearwardly on the base. Iournaled in the sewing head for sidewise reciprocato'ry movement in a path forwardly inclined with respect to the vertical is a needle bar 17 to which a needle 18 is secured. The needle may be actuated in any known or conventional manner from a rotary main shaft 19 journaled in the bracket arm.

Also carried by the supporting base is a cylinder type work support bed indicated generally as 20 in the drawings. The cylinder bed 20 is L shaped in plan view as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 and comprises a first and major limb 21 joined at one extremity to the supporting base 11. At the opposite extremity, the first limb is joined by a second and shorter limb 22 which extends forwardly from the first limb 21. The first limb 21 of the cylinder bed is preferably offset toward the rear of the supporting bed and is thus disposed substantially vertically-beneath and parallel to the bracket arm 15. The second limb 22 projects forwardly from the first limb and thus juts out clear of the bracket arm and sewing head. As illustrated in Fig. 3, a loop taker is housed within the free extremity of the second limb 22. Preferably the loop taker is of a type known in the art as a vertical axis rotary hook. Reference may be had to my co-pending patent application Serial No. 634,904, filed January 18, 1957 for a complete description of the rotary hook. For comprehension'of the present invention, it is sufiicient to understand that the rotary hook comprises an upwardly open basketlike hook body 23 adapted to engage and carry a loop of thread from the eye of the needle around a bobbin of thread carried in a bobbincase 24 ..which is journaled within the hook body and is restrained from rotation therewith- As illustrated in Fig. 3 the hook body 23 is fast on a vertical hook shaft 25 journaled in the second limb 22of the cylinder bed. A pair of meshing bevel gears 26, 27 are fast one on the hook shaft and the other on a shaft 28 journaled lengthwise of the second limb and extending into the. first limb 21 of the cylinder bed. Referring to Fig. 2, the shaft 28 is operativeiy connected by means of meshing bevel gears 29, 30 to a bed shaft 31 journaled'lengthwise of the first limb 21 of the cylinder bed and extending into the supporting base 11. A pair of meshing bevel gears 32, 33 operatively connect the bed shaft 31 to an upwardly inclined shaft 34- in the standard which as illustrated in Fig. l is driven from the main shaft 19 of the machine by a pair of meshing bevel gears 35, 36. I I, Q Hi The free extremity of the second limb 22 of the cylinder bed is open at the top and may be closed by a throat plate 37 formed with a needle aperture 38 through which the needle reciprocates. The .needle thus. cooperates with the looptaker in the. formation of stitches which .are drawn oif hook and are set into. thework". fabric at ithe needleapert'ure. 38. The needle a erture-there fore, may be referred to as the stitching point on the machine. Removal of the throat plate 37 exposes the bobbin case 24 completely clear of the sewing head and bracket arm so that ready access may be had to the bobbin as for replenishing the bobbin thread supply without any interference from the sewing machine superstructure.

The throat plate 37 is also formed with a plurality of feed dog slots 39 extending each in a direction lengthwise of said second limb 22 but crosswise of said first limb. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a feed dog 41? which is disposed to work through the slots 39 and to engage and advance a work fabric in opposition to a presser foot 41 carried on the sewing head, is associated with a four motion drop feed mechanism extending within the cylinder bed. The feed dog is secured by screws 42 to a feed bar 43 which extends downwardly beneath the bed shaft 31 and then obliquely across the first limb 21 of the cylinder bed as shown in Fig. 2. The feed bar directly beneath the connection with the feed dog is connected by means of a short upstanding link 44 to the free extremity of a feed lift rock arm 45 fast on a feed lift rock frame 46 journaled in the cylinder bed on a pintle 47 extending from the rock frame, and with the supporting bed on a pintle 48 fast in a hearing lug 49 formed beneath the supporting base. A rock arm 50 formed on the feed lift rock frame within the supporting base is pivoted to a feed lift pitman 51 which extends upwardly within the standard and, as illustrated in Fig. 1, embraces a feed lift eccentric 52 fast on the main shaft 19 which thus imparts rising and falling motion to the feed dog.

The feed bar 43 at its extremity opposite the feed dog is formed with a pair of upwardly extending ears 53 pivotally mounted on a pin 54 secured between the upper extremities of a pair of rock arms 55 formed on a feed advance rock shaft 56 journaled lengthwise in the first limb of the cylinder bed on a pintle 57 in the cylinder bed and a pintle 58 carried in a bearing lug 59 beneath the supporting base. A rock arm 60 formed on the feed advance rock shaft within the supporting base is pivoted to a feed advance pitman 61 which extends upwardly within the standard and is formed with bifurcations 62 at its upper extremity arranged to embrace a feed advance cam 63 fast on the main shaft 19.

The feed advance and return motions imparted to the feed dog may be regulated as to magnitude or reversed as to direction by means of a feed regulating mechanism as illustrated in Fig. 1. Pivotally secured to the feed advance pitman 61 is a stud 64 on which a slide block 65 is journaled. The slide block is embraced by a guide slot 66 formed in a regulating member 67 which is pivotally anchored to the machine frame by the fulcrum stud 68. A handle 69 is provided and extends from the regulating member through a slot in the machine standard for the purpose of adjusting the angular position of the regulating member and the guide slot therein. Since the pitman 61 is bifurcated, the feed advance cam can impart only idle oscillatory motion thereto. Endwise motion effective to advance the feed dog is derived solely from the slide block and guide slot connection of the pitman with the machine frame.

The inclination of the guide slot therefore determines the magnitude and direction of feed of the work. The usual forward direction of feed is from the front to the back of the machine as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2; that is, in a direction lengthwise of the second limb 22 of the cylinder bed and transversely across the first limb, 21 thereof. The line of stitch formation of the sewing machine will occur therefore, through the stitching point which corresponds to the needle apertures 38 and in the direction of feed of the work. I

In order to facilitate assembly of mechanism within the cylinder bed and to provide access thereto, the major limb 21 of the cylinder bed is formed with an opening 70 at the bottom as illustrated in Fig. 3. The opening may be closed by a removable cover plate 71 so that in use the mechanism within the cylinder bed is substantially completely encased and cannot interfere with movement of the fabrics around the bed.

There are three distinct types of sewing operations on tubular work which may be performed on the sewing machine of this invention. First, a fabric may be stitched into a tube. Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, a tube of fabric may be formed by lapping or otherwise enfolding the opposite side edges of a fabric section and positioning the tube thus formed around the free extremity of the second limb 22 of the cylinder bed in advance of the stitching point. When presented to the needle, the tube thus formed will be advanced by the feed to the juncture of the limbs 21 and 22 of the cylinder bed and may then be turned and directed up the first limb 21 of the bed toward the supporting base. Since the level of the top of the first and second limbs of the cylinder bed and the top of the throat plate are all substantially coplanar, the tube may be readily turned about the corner and directed up the arm. Furthermore, the folds and creases inherent in turning a tube of fabric at right angles will occur beyond the stitching point and after the stitching is completed and, therefore, will not adversely affect the quality of the seam produced by the machine. The second type of sewing operation on tubular fabrics which is possible with the machine of this invention involves the sewing upon a fabric article which has previously been formed into a tube of relatively large diameter. For this type of sewing operation, the fabric while being maintained in substantially a straight cylindrical tube is slipped onto both the short limb 22 and the long limb 21 of the cylinder bed. Since the second limb 22 of the cylinder bed is relatively short in comparison with the first limb 21, a tube of fabric in order to be accommodated in the above described fashion need be only slightly larger in diameter than the smallest which could be fitted onto the major limb 21 alone.

The third type of stitching operation on tubular articles is one in which tubes of exceedingly small diameter may be stitched in a manner similar to stitching cuffs on a pair of trousers. To this end the cylinder bed is formed with a recess 72 at the juncture of the first and second limb thereof. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the recess extends from the free extremity of the first limb 21 toward the sup-porting base of the sewing machine. The recess begins at the bottom of the cylinder bed and deepens gradually such that the upper portion of the recess extends across the line of stitch formation of the machine. With this construction, a tube of small diameter such as the sleeve of a childs garment or the like may be placed over the outboard side of the second limb of the cylinder bed with a portion of the wall of the tube disposed in the recess and stitching may be applied around the tube and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tube.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A sewing machine having a supporting base, a free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base and arranged to project therefrom for the reception of tubular fabric articles thereon, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a long limb and a short limb, said long limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base and extending substantially horizontally therefrom, said short limb joined to the opposite extremity of the long limb and projecting horizontally therefrom, and a work feeding mechanism-carried in said cylinder bed and having a principal direction of feed lengthwise along said short limb toward said long limb.

2, A sewing machine having a supporting base, a free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base and arranged to project therefrom for the reception of tubular fabric articles thereon, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a long limb and a short limb, said long limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base, and said short limb joined to theopposite extremity of the long limb and projecting forwardly therefrom, means on said limbs defining a continuous substantially planar L shaped work supporting surface, a work feeding means carried in said cylinder bed for advancing a work fabric in a principal direction lengthwise of said short limb and toward said long limb, and a feed dog associated with said work feeding means and operating upwardly through the short limb portion of said L-shaped work supporting surface closely adjacent to the juncture of said short limb with said long limb.

3. In a sewing machine having a supporting base, a bracket arm carried by said supporting base and an end wise reciprocat'ory needle carried in said bracket arm, a substantially horizontally disposed free ended cyinder bed carried by said supporting base, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base and extending substantially parallel to and vertically beneath said bracket arm, a second limb joined at the opposite extremity of said first limb, and stitch forming instrumentalities carried in said cylinder bed and disposed to cooperate with said needle in the formation of stitches at a point on the second limb of said L shaped cylinder bed adjacent the juncture of the limbs thereof.

4. In a sewing machine having a supporting base and a bracket arm carried by said supporting base, a free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base, said first limb disposed vertically beneath and substantially parallel to said bracket arm, a second limb of said cylinder bed joined at the freeextremity of said first limb and projecting horizontally therefrom, stitch forming instrumentalities carried in said second limb of said cylinder bed, and a needle carried by said bracket arm for endwise reciprocation in a path inclined forwardly with respect to the vertical, said needle being disposed to cooperate in the formation of stitches with said stitch forming instrumentalities in said cylinder bed.

5. In a sewing machine having a supporting base and a bracket arm carried by said supporting base, a free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base, said first limb disposed vertically beneath and substantially parallel to said bracket arm, a second limb of said cylinder bed joined at the free extremity of said first limb and projecting horizontally therefrom, a circularly moving loop taker disposed in the free extremity of said second limb of said cylinder bed, mechanism carried in said cylinder bed for turning said loop taker, and a needle carried by said bracket arm for endwise reciprocation in a path inclined forwardly with respect to the vertical, said needle being disposed to cooperate in the formation of stitches with said loop taker.

6. In a sewing machine having a supporting base and a bracket arm carried by said supporting base, a free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base, said first limb disposed vertically beneath and substantially parallel to said bracket arm, a second limb of said cylinder bed joined at the free extremity of said first limb and projecting horizontally to one side of said first limb, a needle carried by said bracket arm for endwise reciprocation in a path inclined forwardly with respect to the vertical toward that side of the first limb of said cylinder bed on which said second limb projects, means on said second limb of said cylinder bed formed with a needle aperture disposed in registry with the path of endwise reciprocafeed dog, means carried in said cylinder bed for impart-- ing work feeding motion to said feed dog in a direction toward the first limb of said cylinder bed, and means disposed rearwardly of said stitching point considered in the direction of work feeding motor for operatively connecting said feed dog with said feed motion impartin means.

7. In a sewing mazhine having a supporting base and a bracket arm carried by said supporting base, a free ended cy inder bed carried by s id supporting base, said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base, said first limb disposed beneath and substantially parallel to said bracket arm, a second limb of said cylinder bed joined at the free extremity of said first limb and projecting horizontally therefrom, a needle carried by said bracket arm for endwise reciprocation, means on said second limb of said cylinder bed formed with a needle aperture defining a stitching point on said cylinder bed and disposed in registry with the path of endwise reciprocation of said needle, a circularly moving loop taker arranged to cooperate with said needle in the formation of stitches, said loop taker disposed in the free extremity of the second limb of said cylinder bed forwardly of said stitching point, mechanism carried in said cylinder bed for turning said loop taker, a work feeding mechanism carried in said cylinder bed and a feed dog secured to said work feeding mechanism rearwardly of said stitching point and extending in cantilevered form over a portion of said loop taker.

8. In a sewing machine having a supporting base, a bracket arm carried by the supporting base and a needle carried for endwise reciprocation in said bracket arm, a

free ended cylinder bed carried by said supporting base,

said cylinder bed being of L shape with a first limb joined at one extremity to said supporting base and a second limb joined at the free extremity of said first limb, stitch forming instrumentalities carried in said cylinder bed and disposed to cooperate with said needle in the formation of stitches at a stitching point located on said second limb, a work feeding mechanism carried in said sewing machine for advancing a work fabric in a direction lengthwise of said second limb and transversely of said first limb of said cylinder bed, said cylinder bed being formed with a recess at the juncture of the first and second limbs thereof, said recess extending from the free extremity of said first limb toward the supporting base of the sewing machine and across the line of stitch formation which extends through the stitching point and in the direction of feed of the work.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 839,077 Onderdonk Dec. 18, 1906 999,718 Hawes Aug. 1, 1911 1,149,860 Schaaf Aug. 10, 1915 1,917,756 Eames July 11, 1933 2,360,048 Christensen Oct. 10, 1944 2,394,510 Clayton Feb. 5, 1946 

